The thankful tree has been a tradition in our family for a while now. We the kids were smaller I used their handprints for the leaves and a big sheet of paper for the tree. It was fun and a great way to get in the spirit of the holidays. I am a huge believer in being thankful all year round. This is a fun way to get the kids excited.
At the start of each day we are going to write one thing we are thankful for on a leaf. I think starting in the morning helps us start the day in a thankful frame of mind. I years past we have done it at night and the kids made it part of their nightly routine.
I have never painted a mason jar before so this is new territory for me. I was amazed at how easy it was. I just used a small bottle of ivory paint and a foam brush. When it was completely dry I used some sandpaper to take some of the paint off the words so they would stand out better.
The tree is just four branches off the lilac bush bound together at the bottom with a piece of burlap ribbon. I filled the jar with rice so the branches would stay in the center. Put a little moss on top to hide the rice.
The leafs are just plain old construction paper that I cut a simple leaf shape out of. I am using mini close pins to attach the leaves to the tree.
All in all it was a simple project that turned out really cute. The best part was most of the stuff I had around the house. I only had to buy the mini close pine. That in itself makes the project a win!
Let me know what you do to remind the kids to be thankful. I am always looking for new way to inspire my kids and me too.